New Curiosity Rover badge on Foursquare

Foursquare users can earn the Mars Curiosity Rover badge by liking NASA on Foursquare and checking into any NASA visitor center or any location described as a science museum or planetarium.

The check-in is one of the few locations available on another planet, the first of these was in October when Curiosity landed on Mars. Foursquare users will be able to follow Curiosity’s progress on its 23 month mission as it explores Gale Crater and checks into key locations along the way to Mount Sharp.

Curiosity is currently analyzing rocks in an area known as Yellowknife bay but is slated to continue its journey to the centre of the crater early in January 2013. The Mars rover will stay active on Foursqare, posting photos and comments on its page on the social networking site. Its first comment from Gale Crater on October 3 was:

"Mars is cold, dry and rocky. Extra moisturizer and sturdy shoes would be a good idea, plus oxygen for those of you who breathe."

Foursquare and NASA first partnered up in 2010, with the first ever extra-terrestrial check-in made from the International Space Station by astronaut Doug Wheelock.